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University  of  California. 

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A   BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH 

OF 

EIGHT  GENERATIONS  OF  HOOPERS 
IN  AMERICA 

WILLIAM    HOOPER 

1635 

TO 

IDOLENE  SNOW  (HOOPER)  CROSBY 

1883 


COMPILED  BY 

MRS.   WILLIAM   SUMNER   CROSBY 

BROOKLINE.  MASSACHUSETTS 

1906 


PRINTED  FOR 
PRIVATE  CIRCULATION 


-4-^ 


GEO.  H.   ELLIS  CO.,  PRINTERS,  272  CONGRESS  ST.,   BOSTON. 


A  HOOPER  FAMILY  IN  AMERICA. 


This  genealogical  sketch  of  one  line  of  Hoopers  in  America  has 
been  prepared  for  the  benefit  of  the  children  of  Mrs.  Sumner 
Crosby  (Idolene  Snow  Hooper),  now  living  in  Alameda,  Cal. 
No  attempt  has  been  made  by  the  compiler  of  these  records,  (a 
grandmother  of  the  children),  to  establish  a  distinguished  name. 
Like  most  families  in  New  England,  this  family  of  Hoopers  is  of 
good  yeoman  stock. 

Mr.  J.  N.  Larned,  the  learned  historian,  in  "  Books,  Culture, 
and  Character,"  suggests  the  thought  that  human  life  is  lived 
on  a  narrow  strand,  between  two  great  oceans, — the  Ocean  of 
Time  Past  and  the  Ocean  of  Time  to  Come.  When  you  turn, 
looking  futureward,  you  see  nothing  with  certainty:  it  is  veiled 
by  an  impenetrable  mist.  But,  if  you  look  to  that  other  sea 
and  look  out  upon  that  measureless  expanse  of  Time  Past,  you 
will  see  that  it  is  covered  with  ships.  Those  ships  come  sailing 
to  us  in  numbers  beyond  our  counting.  They  bring  us  the  story 
of  a  forgotten  life,  with  its  experience,  its  wisdom,  its  warnings, 
its  counsels,  its  consolations,  and  its  discoveries.  What  if  there 
were  no  ships  to  bring  us  all  this  ? 

It  is  through  our  ancestors  that  we  learn  the  way  in  which 
American  independence  was  won  and  the  Federal  Republic  of 
the  United  States  was  constructed.  It  is  through  these  ancestors 
that  we  learn  of  Bunker  Hill  and  George  Washington,  we  learn 
of  the  coming  of  the  "Mayflower,"  and  the  planting  of  life  in 
the  New  World  from  Old  World  stocks.  "And  yet  there  are 
those  men  and  women  who  live  as  though  no  ship  had  ever  come 
to  them  from  the  far  shores  of  old  Time,  where  their  ancestry 
dwelt;  and  the  interest  of  existence  to  them  is  huddled  in  the 
petty  space  of  their  own  few  years,  between  walls  of  mist  which 
thicken  as  impenetrably  behind  them  as  before."  It  is  the  hope 
of  this  grandmother,  that  the  children  of  Mrs.  Sumner  Crosby 
will  not  accept  life  on  such  narrow  terms;  that  they  will  not 
be  content  to  live  in  ignorance  of  their  own  ancestors;    that 


through  a  study  of  the  lives  of  these  ancestors  they  may  come 
to  have  a  knowledge  of  the  history  of  Time  Past. 

In  England  and  in  America,  in  the  early  records,  the  surname 
of  Hooper  is  spelled  in  various  ways.  In  England  we  have  the 
name  as  "Hope,  Hoope,  Hupper,  Hopper,  and  Hooper."  In 
the  "Province  of  Mayne"  records,  as  late  as  1761,  in  the  same 
deed,  you  will  find  the  name  written  as  "hupper,  hopper,  and 
Hooper,"  referring  to  the  same  person;  and  this  is  equally  true 
in  the  "Mayne"  wills. 

It  is  probable  that  the  surname  of  Hooper  was  first  used  in 
England  about  the  year  1275.  There  is  no  record  to  show  that 
it  is  older  than  this  date.  Whether  the  name  was  originally 
derived  from  a  "trade,"  as  Bowditch  claims  in  his  "Origin  of 
New  England  Family  Names,"  is  not  now  known. 

"In  1275  William  le  Hopore  possessed  lands  in  Dorset,  Eng- 
land. In  1325  the  name  of  Hooper  is  found  in  the  county  of 
Somerset.  The  name  of  Hooper  was  the  Norman  French  term 
for  a  cloth  merchant,  and  it  may  be  presumed  that  the  family 
which  bore  it  was  foreign." — The  Norman  People,  p.  289. 

The  name  of  Hooper  does  not  appear  in  the  Domes-day  Book. 

For  the  benefit  of  these  grandchildren  it  may  be  well  to  insert 
the  following: — 

"Doomsday  Book,  [so  called  because  its  decision  was  regarded 
as  final]  a  book  containing  a  digest,  in  Norman  French,  of  the 
results  of  a  census  or  survey  of  England  undertaken  by  order 
of  William  the  Conqueror  and  completed  in  1085.  It  consists 
of  two  volumes  in  vellum,  a  large  folio  containing  382  pages 
and  a  quarto  containing  450.  They  form  a  valuable  record  of  the 
ownership,  extent,  and  value  of  the  lands  of  England  (1)  at  the 
time  of  the  survey,  (2)  at  the  date  of  bestowal  when  they  had 
been  granted  by  the  king,  and  (3)  at  the  time  of  Edward  the 
Confessor,  when  a  somewhat  similar  survey  had  been  made; 
the  numbers  of  tenants  and  dependents,  amount  of  live  stock, 
etc.,  were  also  returned." — The  Century  Dictionary,  vol.  ii. 

There  are  many  genealogists,  as  shown  in  printed  family  his- 
tories, who  seem  to  care  more  for  glory  than  for  truth;  and 
hence  you  find  these  same  families  claiming  descent  from  "Will- 
iam the  Conqueror"  (when  it  is  not  from  Charlemagne),  whose 
family  surname  had  its  birth  long  years  after  this  "survey"  was 
made  in  England,  in  1085.     Not  always  is  it  dishonesty,  but  is 


the  result  of  either  carelessness  or  ignorance  on  the  part  of  the 
family. 

John  Hooper  (written  also  hup'er  and  hop'er)  was  an  Eng- 
lish Protestant  bishop.  All  authorities  agree  that  he  was  born 
in  Somersetshire,  in  England,  about  the  year  1495.  This  Bishop 
Hooper  is  the  most  distinguished  member  of  the  English  family 
of  Hoopers.  "While  a  student  at  Oxford,  he  was  converted 
to  the  Protestant  faith.  In  1539,  to  escape  the  Bloody  Statutes 
of  Henry  VIII. ,  he  retired  from  England,  and  passed  several 
years  in  Zurich.  At  the  death  of  Henry  he  settled  in  London, 
where  he  became  an  eminent  and  eloquent  preacher.  In  1550 
he  was  made  Bishop  of  Gloucester,  and  in  1552  received  the 
bishopric  of  Worcester  in  commendam.  Soon  after  the  accession 
of  Mary  he  was  condemned  as  a  heretic,  and,  refusing  to  recant, 
was  burned  at  the  stake  in  1553.  He  wrote  numerous  theologi- 
cal works."     (See  Burnet,  History  of  the  Reformation.) 

John  Fox,  in  his  "Book  of  Martyrs,"  writes,  "John  Hooper 
was  married  in  Zurich  to  a  Burgonian"  (p.  323). 

In  1635,  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  July,  the  ship  "James,"  sail- 
ing from  the  port  of  London,  England,  for  New  England,  brought 
among  its  passengers  two  young  men,  one  William  Hooper,  age 
eighteen,  the  other  Thomas  Marshall,  age  twenty-two.  This 
William1  Hooper  was  destined  to  become  the  father  of  the  family 
of  Hoopers  in  America.  No  one  has  ever  searched  the  English 
records  to  see  from  whence  came  this  William  Hooper  to  New 
England,  and  in  the  absence  of  such  proof,  it  is  all  a  matter  of 
conjecture  with  the  compiler  of  these  records  as  to  where  Will- 
iam Hooper's  home  was  in  England. 

"The  under  written  names,  Persons  of  Quality,  are  to  be  trans- 
ported to  New  England  imbarqued  in  the  James,  Jno.  May, 
Mr,  for  N.  E.  p.  Cert:  from  the  ministers  of  their  conformitie 
in  Religeon :  and  that  they  are  no  subsedy  men :  William  Hooper 
age  18:  Thomas  Marshall  age  22:  porte  of  London,  July  13, 
1635."— Original  Lists:  J.  C.  Hotten,  p.  107. 

After  this  date  (1635)  there  is  no  record  of  any  one  bearing  the 
surname  of  Hooper  in  New  England  until  1642,  when  the  name  of 
William1  Hooper  appears  in  the  First  Church  records  in  the  town  of 
"Redding,"  Mass.,  as  oneof  the  "  original  members  "  in  this  church. 
This  record  has  also  the  name  of  "Elizabeth  Hooper."     Whether 


6 

this  Elizabeth  Hooper  was  the  wife  of  William1  it  will  be  diffi- 
cult to  prove;  but  it  is  probable  that  she  was,  from  the  fact  that 
her  name  did  not  appear  before  1642  in  any  other  record,  neither 
does  it  appear  after  this  date.  If  so,  she  was  a  first  wife,  for  in 
1669  and  in  1679  the  wife  of  William1  Hooper  was  "Ruth  Hooper." 
In  this  same  church  record  are  the  names  of  Thomas  Marshall 
and  Elizabeth  Marshall,  his  wife.  Pope,  in  his  "Pioneers  of 
America/'  claims  that  William  Hooper  was  a  "weaver,"  and 
Thomas  Marshall  a  "shoemaker."  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
the  surname  of  the  "  Father  of  English  Poetry,"  Geoffrey  Chaucer, 
signifies  "Shoemaker."  (Century  Dictionary  of  Proper  Names, 
p.  239.) 

"My  angel, — his  name  is  Freedom, — 

Choose  him  to  be  your  king; 

He  shall  cut  pathways  east  and  west, 

And  fend  you  with  his  wing. 

"I  will  have  never  a  noble, 
No  lineage  counted  great; 
Fishers  and  choppers  and  ploughmen 
Shall  constitute  a  state. 

"  Go  cut  down  trees  in  the  forest, 
And  trim  the  straightest  boughs; 
Cut  down  trees  in  the  forest, 
And  build  me  a  wooden  house. 

"Call  the  people  together, 
The  young  men  and  the  sires, 
The  digger  in  the  harvest  field, 
Hireling  and  him  that  hires; 

"And  here  in  a  pine  state-house 
They  shall  choose  men  to  rule 
In  every  needful  faculty, 
In  church,  and  state,  and  school. 

"  Lo,  now !  if  these  poor  men 
Can  govern  the  land  and  sea 
And  make  just  laws  below  the  sun, 
As  planets  faithful  be. 

"I  cause  from  every  creature 
His  proper  good  to  flow: 
As  much  as  he  is  and  doeth, 
So  much  he  shall  bestow." 

R.  W.  Emerson. 


There  is  no  reasonable  explanation  why  William '  Hooper 
together  with  Thomas  Marshall,  should  leave  England  in  1635 
unless  the  "trades"  were  disturbed  to  such  extent  that  there 
was  little  manufacture.  Added  to  this  is  the  fact  that  between 
1630  and  1640  religious  persecution  was  at  its  height.  During 
this  period  was  the  largest  emigration  of  Englishmen  to  New 
England.  Charles  I.  was  ruling  England  without  a  Parliament, 
and  was  levying  a  direct  tax  on  the  people  to  support  the  govern- 
ment. As  shown  after,  by  the  Long  Parliament,  this  period,  1630- 
40,  marked  the  decline  in  England's  prosperity, — a  decline  she 
was  long  years  in  recovering  from.  The  king's  two  advisers  were 
Thomas  Went  worth  (Earl  of  Strafford)  and  William  Laud. 
Bishop  Laud  was  born  in  Reading,  England,  "  the  son  of  a  weaver." 

If  William  Hooper  was  a  "weaver," — and  he  probably  was,  for 
he  mentions  "my  Loombs  and  all  my  Tackling"  in  his  will  in 
1678, — he  came  from  some  place  of  manufacture  in  England. 

In  1635  the  only  town  of  considerable  importance  in  manufact- 
ure that  was  close  to  the  "port  of  London"  was  Reading,  about 
thirty-five  miles  distant  from  London.  The  town  at  that  time 
had  a  population  of  35,000.  Its  situation  was  on  the  Thames  at 
its  confluence  with  the  river  Kennet.  A  beautiful  town,  as  well 
as  one  of  considerable  note.  It  is  possible  that  here  was  the 
birthplace  of  William  Hooper. 

A  little  closer  inspection  of  the  records  of  "Redding,"  Mass., 
discloses  the  fact  that  among  those  "twelve  first  settlers  in 
Redding"  was  one  Dea.  Thomas  Parker.  Mr.  Parker  was  born 
in  Reading,  England,  in  1605.  He  sailed  from  the  port  of 
London  in  the  "Susan  and  Ellen,"  April  13,  1635.  He  sailed 
three  months  in  advance  of  Hooper  and  Marshall;  came  from 
Reading  in  England,  where  "Loombs  and  Tackling"  were  in  use, 
sailed  from  the  same  port  as  Hooper  and  Marshall  did  a  little 
later,  and  is  recorded  in  Lynn  (Mass.)  records  (together  with 
Thomas  Marshall)  as  having  settled  in  Lynn  in  1635. 

He  was  one  of  the  "original  settlers"  in  "Redding,"  Mass., 
together  with  Hooper  and  Marshall,  in  1642.  The  historian  of 
the  town  of  Reading  (Mass.)  claims  that  these  three  men  were 
related.  Thomas  Marshall  is  named  as  "my  brother"  in  Will- 
iam Hooper's  will,  in  1678.  This  circumstantial  evidence  does 
not  prove  the  birthplace  of  William  Hooper;  but,  until  some  one 
disproves  it,  Reading  in  England  is  the  possible  early  home  of 


8 

our  William  Hooper.  It  is  further  possible,  that  these  three  men 
have  the  honor  of  naming  Reading,  Mass.,  and  in  memory  of  their 
English  home. 

In  1639  settlers  at  "Lynn  Commons"  petition  the  Colony 
Court  for  the  right  to  change  the  name  of  Lynn  Commons  to 
"Redding,"  and  ask  to  be  allowed  to  be  incorporated  as  a  sepa- 
rate town.  The  answer  to  this  petition  was  that,  when  "  Lynn 
Commons"  had  a  settlement  of  twelve  families  and  could  support 
a  minister,  the  petition  would  be  granted.  The  names  of  the 
signers  to  this  petition  were  lost,  but  it  is  claimed  in  the  History 
of  Reading  that  William  Hooper's  name  was  among  them. 

Reading  in  1642  was  a  wide-spreading  country,  including  all 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Wakefield  and  South  Reading. 

The  land  was  originally  bought  from  the  Indians  of  Plymouth 
Colony  for  £10  16s.,  and  the  deed  may  still  be  seen,  signed  by 
Sagamore  George,  his  sister  Abigail,  and  Quannapoint.  "In  a 
few  weeks  the  first  settlers  had  a  comfortable  cabin,  and  in  two 
years  extensive  fields  of  corn  and  wheat,  with  a  young  orchard 
started"  ("Recollections  of  Rev.  Timothy  Flint,"  p.  11).  But 
it  was  not  until  after  long  years  that  they  had  any  manufacture 
or  much  trade,  for  they  were  isolated  and  away  from  those  set- 
tlements that  had  better  opportunities.  There  was  exposure 
to  the  Indians,  and  the  internal  conditions  were  such  that  there 
was  little  education  in  schools.  Indeed,  the  town  was  complained 
of  as  late  as  1680  for  having  "too  poor  a  school."  Although 
such  men  as  "Thomas  Bancrofte"  and  "Captayne  Marshall" 
write  a  clear  and  legible  hand,  it  was  quite  uncommon  among 
the  townspeople,  as  the  Registry  of  Deeds  and  the  records  in 
the  Probate  Office  for  Middlesex  County  will  show. 

William '  Hooper  is  the  person  named  as  being  absent  from 
home  in  1675,  "in  a  battle  against  the  Indians  in  Middlesex 
County."  His  name  does  not  appear  often  in  the  county  and 
town  records.  It  is  shown,  by  the  town  books,  that  he  was  taxed 
in  1642;  was  a  member  of  the  church  in  1642-44.  He  receives 
several  "  allottments "  of  land, — one  of  fifty  acres  in  1658,  and 
another  of  ten  acres  in  that  same  year,  on  the  "  Woburn  road." 

In  1669  he  sells  his  "now  dwelling  house  in  Redding"  to  Mrs. 
Mary  Hodgman,  and  the  record  to  be  found  in  Middlesex  Deeds, 
vol.  4,  p.  331,  is  interesting  as  showing  the  form  of  an  original 
old  deed,  and  in  this  case  that  the  wife  of  William  Hooper  in 


1669  was  "Ruth  Hooper,"  who  relinquishes  her  right  and  title 
in  the  estate : — 

"Know  all  men  by  these  prsents  .  yt  I  William  Hooper  of 
Redding,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex  in  New  England  for  divers 
causes  and  consideration  moueing  me  Therearon  to  and  espe- 
cially for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sume  of  twenty  six  pounds 
to  me  in  hand  paid  by  Mary  hogman  at  or  before  the  sealing 
hereof  whereof  &  wherewith  I  do  Acknowledge  myselfe  fully  sat- 
isfied and  contented  and  thereof  and  every  part  thereof  do  ex- 
honorate  aquit  and  discharge  the  afore  said  Mary  hodgman  her 
heirs  and  executors  and  assigns  forever  and  do  by  these  presents 
give  grante  bargaine  enfoffe  and  confirme  unto  the  said  Mary 
Hodgman  my  now  dwelling  house  being  sittewated  in  Redding 
with  fewer  acres  of  land  thereunto  adjoining,  with  the  orchard 
garden  fencing  thereunto  belonging  &  is  bounded  on  ye  north 
with  ye  High  Waye  and  on  the  East  wA  The  Lande  of  Isaac 
Harte  and  on  ye  South  with  ye  Lande  of  Robert  Burnap  Junr 
&  on  ye  weste  w4  the  Lande  of  Thomas  Kendall  To  have  and 
to  hold  the  said  house  &  the  fower  acres  of  Lande  be  it  more  or 
less  with  the  orchard  garden  and  fencing  and  every  part  and 
parcell  thereof  as  it  is  butted  and  bounded  as  above  said.  To 
the  propper  use  and  behoofe  of  the  aforesaid  Mary  hodgman 
her  heirs  executors  and  assigns  forever  and  furthermore  the 
said  William  Hooper  do  give  grante  assigne  enfoffe  the  right 
title  claime  or  demand  that  euer  that  the  said  William  Hooper 
have  or  euer  had  in  any  of  the  said  premises  unto  the  said  Mary 
hodgman  her  heirs,  executors  or  assigns  or  from  any  other  per- 
son or  persons  whatsoever  Laying  any  title  claim  or  interest 
thereto  by  from  or  under  me. 

"7th  d.  4th  mo.  1669." 

The  names  of  the  children  of  William  1  Hooper,  taken  from 
the  Reading  records  and  Savage's  Genealogical  Dictionary,  vol. 
2,  p.  450,  "all  born  in  Redding." 

Whether  "Ruth  Hooper"  was  the  mother  of  these  children 
(she  was  the  mother  of  Thomas  and  John)  does  not  appear: — 

"Mary,  b.  1647. 

James,  b.  and  d.  1649. 

Susan,  b.  1650. 

Ruth,  b.  1653. 


10 

Rebecca,  b.  1656. 
William,  6.  1658. 
Hannah,  b.  1662. 
Elizabeth,  b.  1665. 
Thomas,  b.  1668. 
John,  b.  1670. 

William2  Hooper,  b.  1658;  m.  Susanna .  He  was  a  se- 
lectman in  Reading,  and  died  in  1692.  Of  his  children  whose 
births  were  recorded  in  Reading  were  William,  Elizabeth,  and 
Ruth.  Elizabeth  m.  Enoch  Leonard,  of  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  in 
1707.  Ruth  m.  John  Bolton,  of  Bridgewater,  1710.  Of  the 
children  whose  births  were  unrecorded  were  Susanna,  who  died 
in  Billerica,  Mass.,  1738.  In  her  will  she  mentions  "sisters  Eliza- 
beth Leonard  and  Ruth  Bolton,  of  Bridgewater."  The  will  of 
Susanna  Hooper  is  probated  at  East  Cambridge,  Mass.  (Middle- 
sex Wills,  vol.  22,  p.  783).  Another  child  was  John3  Hooper, 
whose  birth  is  not  recorded  in  Reading  records.  He  m.  and 
settled  in  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  before  1703.  He  became  the 
father  of  a  numerous  posterity,  which  is  scattered  throughout 
New  England  and  the  West.  (See  Mitchell's  History  of  Bridge- 
water.) 

William  '  Hooper  died  in  Reading  in  1679.  The  town  rec- 
ords show  the  following  entry  in  their  books : — 

"  1679:  died  this  day  in  62d  year  of  his  life — William  Hooper 
— one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  town." 

The  burial  was  in  the  old  cemetery  which  is  described  as  "so 
far  from  the  church."  It  was  ordered  by  the  town  in  1668 
"to  fence  the  grave  yard  with  pine  rayles."  Rev.  Jonathan 
Pierpont,  "a  Godly  and  learned  man,"  officiated  at  the  funeral 
services. 

Mr.  Hooper  was  survived  by  his  widow  Ruth  and  nine  chil- 
dren, with  possibly  others  whose  births  were  unrecorded. 

Abstract  from  the  last  Will  and  Testament  of  William 1  Hooper, 
made  on  this  "ffifth  day  of  August,  1678": — 

"  I  give  half  my  lands  Upland  and  meddow  to  my  wife  during 
her  life.  And  the  other  half  of  my  lands  and  meddow  I  give  to 
my  son  William  and  his  heirs  forever.  And  my  will  is  that  he 
shall  improve  them  all:  And  his  mother  to  have  halfe  the  profit 


11 

During  her  life.  And  at  her  discease  He  my  son  William  to  have 
all  my  lands  and  meddow  and  Cattle:  And  to  pay  to  my  six 
children  that  are  unmarried  ffive  pounds  apiece  as  they  shall 
come  to  age.  But  he  shall  not  pay  any  for  two  years  after  my 
discease.  My  will  is  that  my  two  younger  sons  shall  be  with 
their  mother  and  my  son  William  till  they  be  fifteen  years  of  age, 
to  be  helpful  to  them.  And  then  my  will  is  that  they  may  be 
set  to  some  Trade.  And  if  any  of  them  have  a  mind  to  be  a 
Weaver.  Then  I  doo  will  him  to  have  all  my  Loombs  and  all 
my  Tackling  to  them.  And  my  household  stuffs.  I  give  it 
all  to  my  wife  to  be  at  her  own  Disposal.  But  if  my  wife  should 
marry.  All  my  Lands  and  Cattle  shall  be  my  son  Williams. 
Only  the  household  goods:  to  bee  my  wifes  as  willed.  And 
my  will  is  that  my  brother  Captayne  Marshall  and  my  cousin 
Ensigne  Bancrofte  be  my  overseers  to  this  my  last  will  as  above 
said."— Middlesex  Probate  Records,  1679,  17,  4,  vol.  5,  p.  323. 

To  the  Inventory  of  the  estate  "Captayne  Marshall"  signs  his 
name  as  Thomas  Marshall,  and  "Ensigne  Bancrofte  as  Thomas 
Bancrofte." 

On  Nov.  10, 1684,  "  Ruth,  widow  of  William  '  Hooper,"  becomes 
the  second  wife  of  Thomas  Dutton,  of  Billerica,  Mass.  (History 
of  Billerica,  p.  45). 

Some  of  the  Maine  Hoopers,  (those  of  Biddeford),  claim  that 
William1  Hooper  was  made  a  "freeman"  in  Biddeford  in  1648. 
There  is  no  truth  in  this  claim.  He  was  a  "freeman"  in  "Red- 
ding" in  1648,  and  the  records  of  the  town  show  that  he  was 
living  there  on  this  date.  There  is  no  official  record  in  New 
England  to  show  that  William  Hooper  ever  lived  elsewhere  than 
in  "Redding." 


SECOND   GENERATION. 

John2  Hooper,  b.  in  "Redding,"  Mass.,  1670;  m.  Charity 
Kay  (sometimes  recorded  as  Key  or  Keay)  before  1701. 
Her  family  name  appears  in  the  "Province  of  Mayne"  rec- 
ords before  1650.  Her  father  was  John  Kay.  (See  Province 
of  Mayne  Probate  Records.)  John  Kay  was  a  Scotchman. 
The  family  came  early  into  Maine,  but  how  early  cannot  be 
stated  positively.  The  family  surname  appears  frequently 
in  the  court  records  of  "ye  old  Province  of  Mayne,"  between 
the  years  "  1636  to  1686."  They  may  have  come  into  Maine 
at  the  time  of  the  settlement  of  the  Piscataqua,  when  "  the 
Laconia  grant "  was  made  to  Sir  Fernando  Gorges.  It  is  more 
likely,  however,  as  shown  by  the  court  records,  that  they 
were  one  of  those  Scotch  families  who  were  "  disaffected  with 
King  Charles  I.,"  and  were  complained  of  as  "discontented 
spirits,  hostile  to  the  government  of  the  established  church 
who  are  now  settling  on  the  grants  made  by  the  Plymouth 
Company."  It  is  many  years  since  the  name  of  Kay  or 
Keay  has  appeared  in  York  County  records. 

The  children  of  lohn2  and  Charity  Hooper,  all  born  in  Kittery, 
afterward  known  as  Berwick,  and  now  known  as  South  Berwick, 
were : — 

John,  b.  Jan.  14,  1701;  d.  1802. 

Samuel,  6.  Feb.  17,  1704;  d.  1705. 

Charity,  b.  Jan.  17,  1707. 

Samuel,  b.  April  9,  1709. 

Mary,  b.  April  15,  1711. 

Joseph,  b.  Jan.  27,  1713. 

Noah,  b.  and  d.  in  Berwick,  April  11,  1715. 

Love,  6.  April  28,  1717. 

William,  b.  April  26,  1719;  bap.  July  13,  1719. 

Benjamin,  b.  Feb.  13,  1721;  "dismissed  to  the  church  in  Bidde- 
ford,  Me.,  July  28,  1743."  He  is  the  ancestor  of  the  Bidde- 
ford  Hoopers;  and  some  of  his  descendants  are  the  Hoopers 


13 

of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  whose  names  are  found  in  the  early 
records  of  that  time.  Benjamin  Hooper  was  on  the  "com- 
mittee of  safety"  in  Biddeford,  during  the  Revolution. 
He  was  also  a  captain,  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  of 
one  of  the  Biddeford  companies;  d.  "  1802,  age  81." 
Solomon,  b.  Jan.  22,  1722;  m.  Bridget ;  d.  1789. 

The  name  of  John 2  Hooper  appears  on  the  bond  of  Mrs.  Su- 
sanna Hooper,  of  "Redding,"  in  the  settlement  of  the  estate 
of  "my  late  disceased  husband  William  Hooper  October  25, 
1692"  (Middlesex  County  Probate  Records,  vol.  8,  p.  16). 

The  name  of  John  Hooper  appears  again  on  the  petition  of 
Mrs.  Mary  Taylor,  of  "Redding,"  Nov.  14,  1695,  requesting  that 
her  son,  James  Taylor,  may  be  appointed  administrator  of  the 
estate  of  "my  late  disceased  husband  Thomas  Taylor"  (Mid- 
dlesex County  Probate  Records,  vol.  7,  p.  333). 

After  1695  we  find  no  one  bearing  the  surname  of  Hooper 
remaining  in  "  Redding."  John  Hooper  probably  left  "Redding" 
soon  after  this  date.  It  may  possibly  be  he  whose  name,  "  John 
Hooper,"  appears  in  the  records  of  the  French  and  Indian  Wars. 
Also  his  elder  brother  Thomas  (b.  1668),  who  is  mentioned  in 
the  father's  will  as  one  of  "my  two  younger  sons,"  may  be  the 
same  Thomas  Hooper  whose  name  is  also  connected  with  this 
war. 

The  name  of  this  brother  Thomas 2  Hooper  appears  in  Kittery 
records  for  the  first  time  April  7,  1696. 

Quarterly  sessions  held  at  York,  April  7,  1696. 

"We  present  Thomas  Hooper  for  not  ffrequenting  the  public 
worship  of  God  on  ye  Lords  day"  (Part  II.  Book  5,  Fol.  8, 
York  Deeds). 

March  5,  1697-98,  Thomas  Hooper  sells  to  Henry  Barter,  of 
Kittery,  "  27  acres  or  more  which  was  bequeathed  unto  sd  Hoopers 
wife,  Elizabeth  by  Capm  ffrancis  Champernown  Esqr  Decd  and 
Since  Delieuvd  unto  sd  Hooper  by  Mrs.  Mary  Champernowne 
Relict  and  Executrix  of  ye  Deed,"  etc.  (York  Deeds,  Book  VII. 
Folio  42). 

"At  a  legal  town  meeting  held  at  Kittery  May  16,  1699: 
Granted  unto  Thomas  Hooper  twenty  acres  of  land  provided 
he  improve  it  within  one  year." 


14 

"For  ye  year  1714:  Paid  Thomas  Hooper  £.5.  by  John  Hooper 
treasurer  of  Berwick,  by  the  account  presented  by  constable 
Joseph  Abbott"  (Book  I.  p.  38,  Berwick  Town  Records). 

Kittery,  Me.,  was  incorporated  as  a  town  Oct.  20,  1647.  At 
this  time  her  territory  included  all  of  the  Berwicks  and  Eliot. 
Berwick  was  set  off  from  Kittery,  and  incorporated  as  a  town, 
June  9,  1713. 

John 2  Hooper,  in  1704,  bought  land  from  James  Emery. 
His  name  had  not  appeared  previous  to  this,  in  York  Deeds, 
although  in  the  Kittery  town  records  it  is  shown  that  John  and 
Charity  Hooper  had  a  son,  John,  Jr.,  born  in  1701.  This  land 
of  Hooper's  purchased  from  Emery,  in  1704,  is  described  in 
part  as  "  a  certain  piece  of  land  bounded  on  ye  west  by  ye  coun- 
try road  in  Kittery,  on  ye  north  and  south  and  east  by  Philip 
Hubbards  land,  and  is  a  part  of  Lot  of  Land  on  which  my  father 
did  live,  and  is  excepted  out  of  it  when  he  sold  to  Philip  Hub- 
bard, and  lies  opposite  against  ye  south  east  corner  of  Philip 
Hubbards  orchard"  (York  Deeds,  Book  7,  Folio  1). 

On  Jan.  26,  1716,  John  Hooper  bought  the  farm  owned  in 
1704  by  Philip  Hubbard  and  Elizabeth  Hubbard,  his  mother, — 
"50  acres  of  land  be  it  more  or  less  with  ye  barn,  ye  dwelling- 
house  orchard  land  and  buildings"  (York  Deeds,  Book  8,  Folio 
200).     On  this  last  date,  1716,  he  had  a  large  farm. 

At  this  point  the  writer  wishes  to  consider  the  evidence  which 
seems  to  connect  the  John  Hooper,  of  Kittery,  Maine,  with  the 
John  Hooper  born  in  "Redding,"  Mass.,  in  1670.  It  is  nec- 
essary to  do  this,  because  this  claim  has  been  questioned.  The 
party  who  has  thus  questioned  and  doubted  was  justified  in 
doing  so.  A  genealogical  chain  is  only  as  strong  as  its  weakest 
link.  And  when  two  separate  families  claim  John2  Hooper  of 
"Redding"  as  their  lineal  ancestor,  the  one  family  living  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  the  other  in  Maine,  it  makes  a  conservative  mind 
cautious  about  accepting  as  a  fact,  what  had  become  only  a 
"tradition"  with  the  Maine  Hoopers, — that  their  lineal  ancestor, 
John  Hooper,  of  Kittery  in  1701,  was  the  son  of  William  Hooper, 
who  came  to  New  England  in  the  "James"  in  1635,  and  settled 
"Redding,"  Mass.  It  is  necessary  to  state  that  no  "vital 
statistics"  has  been  discovered  by  the   writer,  or  by  any  de- 


15 

scendant  of  William1  Hooper,  which  connects  him  with  a  John 
Hooper,  either  in  Massachusetts,  or  in  Maine,  after  the 
birth  of  the  son  John,  in  Redding,  Mass.,  in  1670.  Among  the 
Massachusetts  Hoopers  there  was  not  even  this  "tradition" 
which  the  writer  found  among  the  Maine  Hoopers  when  she 
commenced  these  records.  It  would  be  confusing  to  introduce 
the  questions  raised  by  the  Massachusetts  Hooper  in  his  objections 
to  this  claim  made  in  Maine.  The  writer  has  been  carefully 
through  all  of  the  records  of  Plymouth  County  and  Middlesex 
County  in  Massachusetts,  and  of  York  County  records  in  Maine, 
and  with  the  following  results,  which  has  confirmed  her  in  a 
belief  that  the  "tradition"  found  in  Maine  is  to  be  accepted  as  a 
truth.  Whether  she  is  correct  in  her  judgment  is  for  the  Hoopers 
to  decide.  First,  it  is  a  self-evident  fact  that,  if  John2  Hooper  left 
"  Redding"  about  1695  (and  his  name  disappeared  from  Middlesex 
records  in  1695),  and  there  is  no  record  of  his  death  in  Massachu- 
setts, it  was  necessary  for  him  to  settle  elsewhere.  A  John 
Hooper  is  in  the  Kittery  records  in  1701.  A  search  in  the  York 
Country  records  in  Maine,  disclosed  the  fact  that  before  this  date, 
1701,  with  the  one  exception  of  Thomas  Hooper,  no  one  bearing 
this  family  surname  had  ever  lived  in  York  County.  A  further 
search  disclosed  another  fact:  that  the  recorded  ages  of  the 
children  born  to  Thomas  Hooper  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  (Small) 
Hooper  (these  births  are  recorded  in  the  years  between  1693- 
1705),  make  it  possible  that  the  father  of  these  children  was  the 
Thomas  Hooper  born  in  "Redding"  in  1668.  These  records  show 
that  those  children  were  daughters.  After  all  these  long  years  it 
will  be  impossible  to  decide  what  motives  there  were  which  led 
Thomas  and  John  Hooper  to  settle  in  Kittery.  But  the  town 
records  of  Berwick,  Me.,  as  already  stated,  show  that  Thomas 
Hooper,  together  with  John  Hooper,  were  in  the  same  town  in 
1714, — Berwick,  Me.  If  it  is  true,  that  these  two  men — Thomas 
and  John  Hooper — were  brothers,  and  were  in  the  same  war  to- 
gether, it  is  clearly  understood  that  in  going  into  Maine  and 
Canada  they  probably  travelled  over  "that  lonely  road  that 
runs  close  to  the  oceanside  (to  prevent  a  surprise  from  the  Ind- 
ians), and  was  from  Boston  to  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire." 
They  saw  the  mountain  Agamenticus  in  the  distance,  and  doubt- 
lessly crossed  the  Piscataqua  into  Kittery.  One  fact  is  evident 
in  the  records  of  York  County, — that,  if  one  cannot  determine  from 


16 

whence  these  two  men  came  into  Kittery,  it  is  certain  they  both 
found  a  wife  there;  for  Elizabeth  Small  was  in  the  family  of  Sir 
Francis  Champernowne,  and,  as  already  has  been  shown,  John 
Hooper's  wife,  Charity,  was  the  daughter  of  John  Kay,  which 
family  had  been  long  in  the  "Province  of  Mayne." 

To  the  bond  of  Mrs.  Susanna  Hooper  in  "  Redding,"  John 
Hooper's  signature  appears  in  a  writing  that  is  clear  and  distinct. 
He  spells  his  name  Hooper,  and  not  "huper,"  "hopper,"  or 
"hupper."  In  the  early  deeds,  in  York  County,  this  name  is 
frequently  written  with  a  small  h,  and  is  "huper,"  "hoper,"  or 
"Hupper."  This  fact  was  a  very  troublesome  one  to  the  writer, 
for  it  was  impossible  to  understand  how  the  same  person  could 
change  the  spelling  of  his  own  name  inside  of  six  years.  A  long 
search  failed  to  disclose  the  written  signature  of  John  Hooper  in 
York  County.  To  be  sure,  John  Hooper  was  for  several  years 
town  treasurer  of  Berwick,  and  it  was  hardly  supposable  that  a 
man  holding  such  an  office  could  not  write  his  own  name.  Still, 
the  written  signature  could  not  be  found,  or  any  proof  that  he 
did  not  change  the  writing  of  his  name  to  "huper"  after  he  went 
into  Maine.  At  last  the  writer  discovered  her  own  blunder. 
She  had  been  reading  the  deeds  wherein  John  Hooper  was  the 
grantee,  and  not  the  grantor.  And  thus  the  name  had  been  written 
by  other  parties.  After  a  long  time  a  deed  was  discovered  which 
bears  the  date  1721,  in  which  John  Hooper's  name  appears  for 
the  first  time  as  a  grantor  in  York  County.  In  this  deed  he 
writes  his  name  John  Hooper,  and  names  "my  wife  Charity." 
With  the  aid  of  tracing  paper,  a  copy  of  the  two  signatures  of 
John  Hooper  in  Middlesex  records  was  made,  and,  when  com- 
pared with  the  signature  of  John  Hooper  to  the  deed  of  1721  in 
York  County,  Maine,  were  found  to  be  so  very  like  as  to  leave 
no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  compiler  of  these  records  that  the 
three  signatures  were  written  by  the  same  hand.  Before  introducing 
this  deed  as  evidence,  the  writer  will  again  refer  to  the  "tradition" 
in  Maine.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  of  John2  Hooper's  children 
three  sons,  John,  b.  1701,  lived  until  1802;  William,  b.  1719 
d.  in  Berwick,  1809;  Benjamin,  b.  1721,  d.  in  Biddeford,  1802' 
Their  father  died  in  Berwick  in  1761.  You  will  note  that  the 
birth  of  one  son,  John,  Jr.,  covers  a  century.  If  you  think  care- 
fully, you  will  find  it  hard  to  believe  that  these  three  sons  did  not 
know  the  birthplace  of  their  own  father;  further,  that  it  will  be 


17 

equally  hard  to  believe  that  they  never  heard  the  Christian  name 
of  their  grandfather  Hooper,  and  never  learned  where  he  lived 
and  died.  Admit  this  much,  and  it  is  easily  understood  what 
foundation  the  Maine  Hoopers  have  for  the  statement  that  they 
are  descended  from  William1  Hooper,  of  "Redding." 

It  is  well  for  the  Maine  Hoopers  to  have  a  record  of  this  deed : 
"  To  all  People  to  whom  these  presents  shall  Come  John  Hooper 
of  ye  town  of  Barwick  in  ye  County  of  York  in  his  Majestyes 
Province  of  ye  Mafsachusetts  Bay  in  New  England  Cordwainer 
&  Charity  ye  wife  of  sd  John  Hooper  sendeth  Greeting.  Know 
ye  for  divers  good  causes  us  hereunto  moving  &  more  Espe- 
cially for  &  in  Consideration  of  ye  full  and  whole  sum  of  One 
hundred  and  Thirty  pounds  Current  money  of  New  England 
to  us  in  hand  well  and  truly  paid  before  ye  signing  and  sealing 
of  these  presents  by  Daniel  Stone  of  ye  town  of  Barwick  aforesd 
Cordwainer  ye  Rect  thereof  we  do  acknowledge  ourselves  fully 
Sattisfyed  Contented  &  paid  for  every  part,  have  given  granted 
Bargained  &  Sold  &  do  by  these  presents  for  ourselves  onr 
heirs  Executors  Administrators  &  Assigns  forever  fully  & 
freely  &  absolutely  give  grant  Bargain  Sell  aleine  enfieffe  as- 
sign Convey  pass  over  &  Confirm  unto  him  ye  foresd  Daniel 
Stone  &  to  his  heirs  Executors  administrators  and  assigns 
forever  a  Certain  peece  or  tract  of  land  Containing  Three  Quar- 
ters of  One  acre  &  Eleven  Rods  thereabouts  lying  between 
and  Situate  in  ye  town  of  Barwick  aforsd  with  ye  Dwelling-house 
Barn  outhouses  &  orchards  &  fences  &  fencing  Stuff  &  all 
whatsoever  Standing  Lying  or  growing  in  or  upon  sd  land 
being  butted  &  bounded  as  Followeth,"  etc. 

"In  witness  whereof  we  ye  foresd  John  Hooper  and  Charity 
his  wife  have  hereunto  set  sett  our  hands  &  Seals  this  fourth 
day  of  December  Anno  Domini  one  Thousand  Seven  Hundred 
and  twenty  one  &  in  ye  eighth  year  of  King  George  reign,"  etc. 

JOHN   HOOPER   0 
CHARITY  HOOPER  her  mark  t 
Signed    Sealed    & 
Delivered  in  the  pres- 
ence of  us 

James  Warren 
Moses  Goodwin  his  mark  X 
Thomas  Abbott  his  mark  X 
York  fs  Dec.  27,  1721. 


18 

The  above  named  John  Hooper  &  Charity  his  wife  Came 
before  me  &  acknowledged  ye  above  written  Instrument  to 
be  their  free  act  and  deed 

Charles  ffrost  Jus  Peace 

Recorded  according  to  ye  originall  Decr.  27th  1721 

p  Abram  Preble  Regr." 

(York  Deeds,  Book  X.  Folio  234.) 

John  Hooper  was  on  the  building  committee  of  the  little  church 
in  Kittery  in  1704.  He  succeeded  Mr.  Philip  Hubbard  as  town 
clerk  and  treasurer  in  1712,  and  continued  in  office  until  1730. 
He  was  made  a  deacon  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  in 
1721.  He  was  active  in  county  and  town  affairs, — a  selectman, 
moderator  at  town  meetings,  and  often  one  of  the  grand  jurors. 
The  county  records  show  that  he  was  appointed  to  settle  disputes 
"out  of  court";  and  his  name  appears  more  frequently  than 
that  of  any  other  man  in  York  County,  in  the  settlement  of 
estates.  He  died  in  1761.  The  date  of  the  death  of  his  wife 
Charity  is  not  known;  but,  as  she  is  not  mentioned  in  her  hus- 
band's will,  it  is  probable  that  she  had  already  died.  They  are 
buried  on  their  farm  at  "  Old  Fields,"  Berwick,  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Isaac  Libbey,  a  lineal  descendant. 

The  Will  of  John  Hooper. 

"In  the  name  of  God  Amen:  I,  John  Hooper  of  Berwick, 
in  the  County  of  York,  within  ye  Province  of  ye  Massachusetts 
Bay,  in  New  England,  cordwainer,  being  aged  and  infirm  of 
body,  but  of  sound  mind  and  memory,  expecting  the  time  to 
be  near  that  I  must  die,  and  to  prevent  difference  in  my  family 
about  my  estate  do  make  and  ordain  this  my  last  Will  and  Tes- 
tament. Resigning  my  soul  into  the  hands  of  God  my  Creator 
in  Christ  my  redeemer,  and  my  body  to  a  decent  Christian  burial 
as  my  executor  shall  think  most  convenient,  hoping  for  a  res- 
urection  among  the  Just. 

"What  estate  it  has  pleased  God  to  bless  me  with  in  this  life, 
I  give,  devise  and  bequeath  and  dispose  of  the  same  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner.  Viz: — First  my  will  is  that  all  my  just  and 
honest  debts  be  well  and  truly  paid  by  my  son  Solomon  Hooper, 
who  I  appoint  sole  executor  of  this  my  last  Will  and  testament. 


19 

"Item:  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my  son  John  Hooper  13. 
pounds  five  shillings  and  eight  pence  lawful  money,  or  an  equiva- 
lent thereto  of  Good  vendable  lumber  of  that  value  at  money 
price,  to  be  paid  by  my  son  Solomon  Hooper,  my  executor, 
in  one  year  after  my  discease,  at  some  convenient  landing  place 
in  Berwick  aforesaid  without  interest.  I  also  give  my  son  John 
one  half  of  all  my  common  rights  undevided  in  Berwick. 

"Item:  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my  son  Samuel  Hooper 
9  pounds  six  shillings  and  eight  pence  lawful  money  or  an  equiv- 
alent thereto  in  cattle  or  good  vendable  lumber  of  that  value 
at  money  price  to  be  paid  by  my  son  Solomon  Hooper,  my  exec- 
utor, in  one  years  time,  after  my  discease,  at  some  convenient 
landing  place,  in  said  Berwick  without  interest. 

"Item:  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my  sons  William  and  Ben- 
jamin, to  each  of  them,  nine  pounds,  six  shillings  and  eight  pence 
lawful  money  or  an  equivalent  in  good  vendable  lumber,  to  that 
value  at  money  price  at  some  convenient  landing  place  in  Ber- 
wick within  one  year  after  my  discease,  said  sum  to  be  paid  to 
each  of  them  said  William  and  Benjamin  by  my  son  Solomon 
my  executor. 

"  Item :  If  any  of  my  said  sons  John,  Samuel,  Benjamin,  Will- 
iam, or  either  of  them  shall  die  before  their  respective  legacies 
above  mentioned  shall  become  due,  the  same  shall  be  paid  to 
their  respective  heirs,  or  lawful  representatives  and  all  without 
interest  if  within  one  year  after  my  discease. 

"  Item :  My  three  daughters  namely  Charity  Key,  Mary  Shorey 
and  Love  Sprague  having  already  had  what  I  intended  to  give 
each  of  them  for  their  portion,  my  will  is  that  my  son  Solomon 
pay  to  each  of  them  the  said  Charity,  Mary  and  Love  his  sisters 
five  shillings  lawful  money  out  of  my  estate  which  shall  be  in 
full  of  their  portion  of  the  same. 

"Item:  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my  son  Solomon  Hooper 
and  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever  all  of  my  house  and  land  where 
I  now  live  in  Berwick:  tillage  lands,  mowing  lands,  pasture  lands, 
woodlands,  marshes,  meadows,  and  one  half  part  of  all  my  com- 
mon rights  devided  and  undevided,  and  all  the  residue  of  my 
estate  real  and  personal  in  Berwick.  And  in  any  and  every 
place  and  places  whatsoever  and  wheresomever,  money,  goods 
and  chatels  of  every  sort  and  kind;  debts,  dues  and  demands 
be  the  same  more  or  less,  my  said    son    Solomon    paying    all 


20 

debts  and  legacies  in  this  my  will  mentioned  and  ordained  to 
be  paid. 

"Lastly:  I  hereby  revoke  and  disallow  every  other  former 
will  and  wills,  testament,  legacies  and  bequests,  by  me  in  any 
manner  before  this  made  by  word  or  writing.  Ratifying  and 
allowing  this  and  no  other  to  be  my  last  will  and  testament. 

"In  witness  whereof,  I  the  said  John  Hooper  hereunto  set 
my  hand  and  seal  the  22d  day  of  May  1756." 


Signed  sealed  and  wit- 
nessed, pronounced  and 
declared  by  the  said 
John  Hooper  to  be  his 
last  will  and  testament 
in  the  presence  of  us. 

Thomas  Goodwin. 

Walter  Abbott. 

Joseph  Hubbard 

David  Goodwin 

Noah  Emery 


"JOHN   HOOPER  his  mark  X." 


Recorded  from  the  original 

Samuel  Frost  register. 

Probated  7th  day  of  January  1762. 

Will  recorded  in  Probate  Office  York  Co. 
Vol.  10,  p.  274. 

Letter    administration    and    Inventory    p. 
274,  275.     Vol.  10. 


THIRD   GENERATION. 

William  Hooper,  b.  at  "Old  Fields,"  Berwick,  April  29,  1719; 
to.  Oct.  29,  1743,  Elizabeth  Emery,  b.  at  "Old  Fileds,"  Sept.  24, 
1725.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Elder  Daniel 4  Emery  and  Mrs. 
Mary  (Lord)  Hodgdon.  The  line  of  Elizabeth  Emery's  ancestors 
is  as  follows: — 

Anthony  Emery,  second   son  of   John   and   Agnes   Emery, 

was  b.  in  Romsey,  Hants,  England;   to.  Frances .     He 

came  to  America  in  1635.  He  was  in  Dover,  N.H.,  about 
1640,  and  October  22  of  that  same  year  he  signed  the 
"  Dover  Combination."  He  kept  an  ordinary  at  Dover  Neck. 
He  removed  to  Kittery,  Me.,  in  1649.  He  was  juryman 
several  times,  selectman  1652,  1659,  and  constable.  At  four 
different  times  he  received  grants  of  land  from  the  town. 
He  was  one  of  the  forty-one  inhabitants  of  Kittery  who 
acknowledged  themselves  subject  to  the  government  of 
"Massachusetts  Bay,  Nov.  16,  1652."  In  1656  he  was  fined 
£5  for  mutinous  courage  in  questioning  the  authority  of  the 
court  of  Kittery,  and  in  1660  again  fined  for  entertaining 
Quakers.  In  1660  he  sold  his  house  and  all  his  lands  to 
his  son  James,  and  moved  with  his  wife  to  Portsmouth,  R.I. 
(The  writer  has  seen  the  record  of  the  above  deed.)  Anthony 
Emery  was  made  a  "freeman"  in  Portsmouth,  Sept.  29, 
1660.  He  served  as  juryman  on  several  occasions,  was  chosen 
constable  June  4,  1666,  and  deputy  to  the  General  Court, 
April  25,  1672.  There  is  no  record  of  his  death  or  place  of 
burial. 
James2  Emery  came  to  America  with  his  father  in  1635;  to. 

first  Elizabeth (she  d.  after  1687);  to.  second,  Elizabeth 

Pidge,  of  Dedham,  Mass  (Dedham  Records,  p.  27).  James 
Emery  had  grants  of  land  in  Kittery,  1674,  1676,  1677, 
1684,  1685,  1692,  1693,  1695;  elected  representative  to  the 
General  Court,  1693,  1695;  grand  juror  and  constable,  1670; 
d.  1705.  It  is  related  that  when  he  went  to  Boston  his  car- 
riage was  a  chair  placed  on  an  ox-cart  drawn  by  a  yoke  of 


22 

steers,  as  there  was  not  a  carriage  in  Kittery  strong  enough 
to  carry  him.  He  was  a  large  man,  weighing  three  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds. 

Daniel3  Emery  was  b.  in  Kittery,  Nov.  15,  1678;  m.  March 
17,  1695,  Marg^rett  Gowen  (her  mother  was  Elizabeth  Frost, 
daughter  of  Nicholas  ffrost,  and  her  uncle  Charles  ffrost 
was  one  of  the  first  "Chief  Justices"  appointed  in  "ye  old 
Province  of  Mayne."  He  was  a  very  distinguished  man,  as 
shown  by  public  records). 

Daniel 3  Emery  was  a  noted  land  surveyor  in  York  County. 
He  was  appointed  by  the  General  Court  to  mark  the  line 
between  the  common  rights  of  Berwick  and  Kittery,  and  to 
mark  the  division  between  Kittery  and  Berwick.  He  was 
one  of  the  "foundation  members"  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  was  chosen  elder  Nov.  11,  1720.  He  died  in 
Berwick,  Oct.  15,  1722.  Will  was  probated  Nov.  8,  1722. 
His  wife  Margerett  (Gowen)  Emery  d.  in  Berwick  Nov.  21, 
1751. 

Elder  Daniel4  Emery,  b.  June  25,  1697;  m.  June  16,  1720, 
Mrs.  Mary  (Lord)  Hodgdon.  He  d.  September,  1779.  Will 
probated  Oct.  4,  1779.  His  sixth  child,  Elizabeth  Emery,  m. 
William3  Hooper. 

The  children  of  William  3  and  Elizabeth  (Emery)  Hooper  were: 

Daniel,  b.  1744;  m.  Sept.  24,  17$1,  Hannah  Heard,  and  settled 
in  Lebanon,  Me.,  where  he  d.  March  24, 1820.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  served  in  a  New  Hampshire 
company  (see  Military  Rolls  of  New  Hampshire). 

William,  b.  1746;  bap.  1746;  m.  June  21  \  1770,  Mary  Lord, 
daughter  of  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  (Davis)  Lord. 

Elizabeth,  bap.  July  28,  1751;    d.  young. 

Noah,  bap.  Nov.  15,  1755.     A  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Elizabeth,  bap.  Sept.  13,  1761;  m.  Sept.  13,  1779,  Tristram  Heard. 
He  was  in  the  same  New  Hampshire  company  with  Daniel 
Hooper,  who  afterwards  became  his  brother-in-law. 

John4  bap.  July  25,  1761;  m.  May  11,  1784,  Elizabeth  Plaisted; 
m.,  second,  Mrs.  Jane  Wood.  He  was  the  father  of  fifteen 
children.  He  lived  after  1796  on  the  William 3  Hooper  farm 
in  Berwick.  He  d.  in  the  home  of  his  unmarried  daughter 
in  Dover,  N.H.,  March  8,  1844.     His  eldest  child  was  Frances 


23 

Hooper,  who  married  James  Lord.  Of  their  children,  William 
F.  Lord,  born  May  17,  1819,  was  well  known  as  the  historian 
of  Berwick;  and  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Frances  Hooper 
Moore,  the  writer  is  indebted  for  assistance  in  her  researches 
in  Berwick.  Another  descendant  of  John  Hooper  is  Mrs. 
Anna  M.  McCoy,  of  New  York  City. 

John4  Hooper's  son,  John5  Hooper,  m.  Caroline  dishing,  and 
lived  on  "Mast  Road,"  Dover,  N.H.  Among  his  grand- 
children are  Dr.  Fred  Hooper  Hayes  and  Mr.  Frank  Hooper, 
of  Dover,  N.H. 

Mary,  b.  March  29,  1764;  m.  Love  Keay. 

Sarah,  bap.  May  14,  1767;  m.  June  29,  1790,  Rev.  Joshua  Roberts. 

Martha,  bap.  May  14,  1767;    m.  Richard  Hovey. 

James,  b.  Dec.  17,  1769;  bap.  Feb.  5,  1772;  m.  Sally  Merrill, 
of  New  Gloucester  (she  d.  January,  1802);  m.,  second,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Hubbard.  He  had  two  children  by  his  first 
marriage,  both  of  whom  died  in  1805. 

Mr.  Hooper  became  the  first  settled  minister  of  the  town 
of  Paris,  Me.  He  was  ordained  in  1795,  and  the  ordination 
services  were  held  in  a  barn.  His  brother,  Rev.  William 
Hooper,  of  Berwick,  preached  the  ordination  sermon.  He 
occupied  the  position  as  "  first  minister  of  the  town  of  Paris  " 
until  his  death  in  1842.  Mr.  Hooper  represented  the  town 
of  Paris  in  the  legislature  several  times,  and  was  on  the 
committee  in  the  convention  in  Brunswick  to  frame  the 
State  Constitution.  His  nephew,  George  Plaisted  Hooper, 
lived  with  him,  and  had  charge  of  his  farm.  He  died,  leav- 
ing no  descendants. 

The  History  of  Paris,  Me.,  gives  a  full  account  of  Rev. 
James  Hooper. 

"William3  Hooper  died  in  Berwick,  Me.,  July  26,  1809,  in 
ninety-first  year  of  his  age;  his  widow,  Elizabeth  (Emery) 
Hooper  died  January,  1812,  age  eighty-seven"  (Berwick  Town 
Records). 

On  April  30,  1744,  William3  Hooper  bought  from  Thomas 
Wooster  a  tract  of  land,  "five  acres  more  or  less,"  which  was 
in  the  north  parish,  five  miles  north  of  the  homestead  of  his 
father.  It  was  "bounded  southerly  by  the  common  way  lead- 
ing from  Great  Falls  to  Salmon  Falls  road,  westerly  by  land  of 


24 

Joshua  Roberts,  and  easterly  by  land  of  Moses  Nock,"  etc.  (York 
Deeds,  vol.  25,  pp.  66,  67). 

This  deed  describes  the  land  on  which  William  Hooper  built 
his  house  in  1744-45.  It  is  still  standing,  and  is  in  good  condi- 
tion. In  this  house  the  children  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (E  nery) 
Hooper  were  born,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Daniel,  the 
eldest.  Across  the  road  he  built  a  tannery  and  shoe-shop,  and 
he  is  described  in  York  Deeds  as  a  "Cordwainer." 

In  1746-47  William  Hooper  was  a  private  in  George  Berry's 
company,  Sergeant  James  Tuttle  in  command. 

Mr.  Hooper,  with  his  family,  worshipped  until  1766,  in  the 
South  Parish,  in  the  church  of  his  childhood,  where  his  wife's 
father  was  ruling  elder,  and  his  own  father  was  a  deacon.  In 
this  church  all  of  his  children  were  christened.  It  is  a  tradi- 
tion in  the  family  that  in  pleasant  weather  they  walked  to  the 
church,  a  distance  of  five  miles;  and,  when  the  snow  was  too 
deep,  they  were  taken  on  an  ox-sled.  When  Mr.  Hooper  built 
his  house,  his  farm  was  surrounded  by  Indians,  with  whom  he 
always  lived  on  friendly  terms. 

On  April  16,  1766,  Mr.  Hooper  connected  himself  with  the 
"Blackberry  Hill  meeting-house."  It  was  in  the  north  part  of 
the  town,  at  a  distance  of  about  three  miles  from  the  William 
Hooper  farm.  His  neighbor  and  friend  was  the  learned  Mathew 
Merriam.  This  church  was  Congregational,  as  was  the  one  in 
the  "South  parish,"  Berwick. 

"April  1766:  admitted  to  this  church  William  Hooper,  and 
wife  Elizabeth  Hooper:  also  Elizabeth  wife  of  the  minister. 
Mathew  Merriam  pastor." 

In  1775  the  little  meeting-house  at  Blackberry  Hill  became 
divided  on  "  the  validity  of  infant  baptism."  Mr.  William  Hooper 
was  one  of  those  who  insisted  upon  "immersion  as  the  only  form 
of  baptism."  He  was  with  the  less  powerful  in  the  church, 
but  was  evidently  a  leader  in  the  opposition.  This  disaffection 
culminated  finally,  so  far  as  Mr.  Hooper  was  concerned,  in  1782, 
as  shown  by  the  following  votes : — 

"1782,  January:  Voted:  that  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
wait  upon  Mr.  William  Hooper  to  learn  his  reasons  for  absenting 
himself  from  church. 

"Mathew  Merriam  pastor." 


25 

The  committee  waited  upon  Mr.  Hooper,  and  reported: — 
"April  1782:  The  committee  above  mentioned  made  a  report 
that  Mr.  William  Hooper  gave  as  a  reason  for  absenting  himself 
from  church  that  he  had  scruples  against  infant  baptism:  also 
that  he  thought  the  church  was  too  arbitrary  in  admitting  mem- 
bers; that  the  officers  of  the  church  managed  it  too  much  them- 
selves; therefore  voted  to  wait  upon  him  in  hopes  that  his  scruples 
may  be  removed. 

"Mathew  Merriam  pastor." 

Mr.  Hooper's  name  does  not  appear  again  in  the  church  records. 

These  Blackberry  Hill  Meeting-house  records  are  interesting, 
as  giving  one  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  lives  of  the  different 
families  in  the  church.  A  woman  was  suspended  as  a  commu- 
nicant because  she  was  "a  common  news-monger,"  another 
was  a  "scold,"  and  still  another  one,  a  man,  was  prohibited 
from  church  attendance  "until  he  keeps  sober,"  etc.  The  two 
ruling  elders  were  very  arbitrary  in  action  and  narrow  of  vision. 
As  you  read  the  records,  you  feel  quite  certain  they  worshipped 
themselves  a  little  more  than  they  did  their  Maker.  They  had 
the  same  jealousies,  the  same  petty  minds,  in  church  matters 
that  one  finds  in  later  generations. 

Mr.  Hooper's  name  appears  frequently  as  one  of  the  grand 
jurymen  for  York  County.  He  is  selectman  nearly  all  of  those 
years  from  1761-84.  In  the  year  1776  his  name  disappears 
from  the  Board  of  Selectmen.  He  was  serving  during  this  year, 
as  a  private,  in  Captain  William  Pearson's  company.  "  Enlisted 
Jan.  24,  1776;  service  to  Aug.  31,  1776,  7  mo.  7  days;  also,  2d 
Corporal  same  co.;  service  from  Sept.  1,  1776  to  Nov.  18, 
1776;   company  stationed  for  defence  of  sea  coast." 

In  the  records  of  the  town  of  Berwick  (p.  299),  one  may  read 
this  warrant  for  a  town  meeting,  which  is  of  interest  to  the  Will- 
iam3 Hooper  descendants: — 

"Likewise  to  see  what  methods  the  town  will  take  to  get  pay 
of  the  people  for  powder  they  received  in  the  year  1775-1776. 
Also :  to  see  if  the  town  will  give  the  selectmen  any  instruction 
respecting  taxing  Mr.  William  Hooper  for  this  year  and  the  year 
1776."  It  is  possible  that  Mr.  Hooper's  activity,  as  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Selectmen  in  getting  men  to  enlist  and  devising 
means  to  carry  on  the  war,  then  his  own  enlistment  for  1776, 


26 

together  with  his  age,  made  him  an  object  of  special  favor  in 
the  abatement  of  his  taxes.  No  other  name  appears  on  the  town 
records  for  a  like  favor.  Mr.  Hooper  was  always  named  in  all 
the  public  records  "Mr.  William  Hooper,"  and  his  son  William, 
as  "Jr.;  Elder;  or  Rev.  William." 

Berwick,  during  the  Revolutionary  period,  was  a  scattered 
settlement,  composed  entirely  of  farms.  They  were  isolated, 
and  were  exposed  to  peculiar  dangers  during  this  period.  The 
town  meetings,  held  alternately  at  the  south  and  north  end  of 
the  town,  at  the  hour  of  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  were  most 
fully  represented  by  the  inhabitants.  A  few  lines  from  the  town 
records  are  worth  presenting  in  connection  with  the  name  of 
William  Hooper,  who  was  frequently  the  moderator  at  these 
meetings,  and,  as  has  been  shown,  he  was  at  this  time  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Selectmen. 

"Berwick,  May  31,  1774. 

"To  the  Honorable,  the  Delegates  of  the  Colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  in  Provincial  Congress  at  Watertown  convened: 
The  petition  of  the  Freeholders  and  Inhabitants  of  the  town  of 
Berwick,  in  the  County  of  York  in  town  meeting  convened  humbly 
showeth :  That  the  harbors  of  York  and  Kittery,  within  the  said 
county,  lie  open  to  our  now  known  enemies,  and  the  lives  and 
properties  of  the  inhabitants  thereof  and  the  neighboring  Towns 
along  the  sea  coast  exposed  to  the  ravages  and  depredations  of 
the  Enemy  and  the  remaining  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  and 
the  neighboring  Towns  labor  under  the  disagreeable  for  a  scant 
of  arms  and  amunition,  of  being  unable  to  defend  themselves, 
their  wives  and  children  and  properties  should  a  descent  be 
made  by  the  Kings  troups  on  this  coast,  which  they  have  the 
greatest  reason  to  fear,  will  inevitably  be  the  cost.  Your  pe- 
titioners humbly  pray  this  Honorable  House  in  their  great  wis- 
dom to  take  the  premises  into  consideration  and  that  they  will 
despatch  one  or  more  of  the  companies  in  the  services  of  the 
Colony  in  order  to  guard  and  defend  the  coast,  and  enable  them 
by  raising  more  troops  in  the  service  of  the  Colony  in  some  meas- 
ure to  defend  themselves." 

"We  acknowledge  and  profess  faithful  allegiance  to  our  faith- 
ful sovereign,  King  George  the  Third,  and  are  willing  at  all  times 


27 

to  risk  our  lives  and  our  fortunes  in  defence  of  his  person  and  his 
family,  but  at  the  same  time  must  earnestly  insist  for  those 
rights  and  liberties  we  are  entitled  to  by  the  laws  of  God,  Nature 
and  the  Constitution  of  the  Province.  Therefore,  Resolved:  That 
no  power  on  earth  has  any  just  right  to  impose  taxes  upon  us 
but  the  Great  and  General  Court  of  this  Province,  and  all  others 
are  unconstitutional  and  not  to  be  submitted  to,"  etc.  Berwick, 
May  31,  1774. 

"York  ss.  In  full  meeting  warned  for  the  purpose  and  holden 
to  instruct  the  Representative  of  this  town  of  Berwick,  resolved : 
that  should  the  Honorable  Congress  for  the  safety  of  the  Colonies 
declare  themselves  independent  of  Great  Britian,  we  the  inhab- 
itants of  said  town  will  solemly  engage  with  our  lives  and  our 
fortunes  to  support  them  in  the  measures  and  will  use  every 
honorable  means  to  further  the  cause  of  independence." 

It  is  claimed  by  some  of  the  descendants  of  William3  Hooper 
that  he  left  his  farm  to  his  son  John4,  by  Will.  But  the  Probate 
Records  of  York  County  show  that  William  Hooper  left  no  will. 
His  farm  was  disposed  of  in  the  following  deed: — 

"I  William  Hooper,  cordwainer,"  etc.,  "town  of  Berwick, 
county  of  York,"  etc.,  "to  John  Hooper  Junr,  his  heirs  and 
assigns  forever:  all  the  homestead,  barn,  wherein  I  now  do  dwell, 
in  Berwick  aforesaid,  containing  seventy  acres  more  or  less 
bounded  easterly  by  Salmon  Falls  road,  leading  from  Quam- 
phegan  to  Pine  Hill,  and  partly  by  land  of  Samuel  Colley,  southerly 
by  Salmon  Falls  river  and  northerly  by  land  of  Joshua  Roberts, 
and  part  or  partly  by  land  of  Moses  Nock:  Also  one  other  tract 
of  land  containing  five  acres  more  or  less,  bounded  southerly 
by  the  common  way  leading  from  Great  Falls  to  Salmon  Falls 
road,  westerly  by  land  of  Joshua  Roberts,  and  easterly  by  land 
of  Moses  Nock,  to  have  and  to  hold,"  etc. 

Acknowledged  before, 

Thomas  Wentworth. 
June  29,  1796. 

Recorded  in  York  Deeds,  Book  60,  p.  5. 

The  wife,  Elizabeth,  does  not  sign  this  deed.  It  is  probable 
that  "John  Hooper  Junr"  was  the    son  of  William3  Hooper. 


28 

His  descendants,  who  have  always  lived  in  Berwick,  claim  him 
as  such.  The  York  deeds  have  many  records  wherein  one  party 
will  name  himself  Jr.  to  a  father  who  has  a  Christian  name  en- 
tirely different  from  his  own. 

This  deed,  by  its  boundaries,  clearly  describes  the  farm  of 
William  3  Hooper.  Here  he  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  passed  their 
married  life,  and  they  both  are  buried  on  Hooper's  Hill,  on  the 
farm.  Recently  the  graves  have  been  enclosed,  and  a  simple 
monument  has  been  erected  to  perpetuate  their  names.  A 
tablet  has  also  been  erected  in  memory  of  John 2  and  Charity 
Hooper,  who  are  buried  at  "Old  Fields,"  South  Berwick. 


FOURTH  GENERATION. 

William4  Hooper,  6.  in  Berwick,  Me.,   1746;    m.  June  21, 
1770,  Mary  Lord. 

Mary  Lord  was  the  only  daughter  of  Deacon  Abraham  and 
Elizabeth  (Davis)  Lord.  She  was  born,  as  were  her  six 
brothers  (five  of  whom  became  Baptist  ministers),  in  the  old 
Garrison  House  which  stood  until  lately  on  the  Richard  Tozer 
farm  in  Berwick,  Me.  Richard  Tozer  was  killed  by  the 
Indians,  Oct.  16,  1675.  His  daughter,  Martha  Tozer,  married 
Nathan  Lord,  Jr.  Their  son,  Captain  Samuel  Lord  (the 
father  of  Deacon  Abraham  Lord)  married  in  Kittery,  Me., 
Oct.  19,  1710,  Martha  Wentworth,  daughter  of  Paul2  Went- 
worth,  of  Dover,  N.H.  Mary  (Lord)  Hooper  d.  in  Madbury, 
N.H.,  Jan.  7,  1826,  "aged  84." 

Rev.  William  Hooper  m.  (second)  Mrs.  Sarah  Demeritt.  He 
d.  January,  1827,  "aged  80  yrs";  and  both  he  and  his  first 
wife  (Mary)  are  buried  on  the  Rev.  William  Hooper  farm 
in  Madbury,  N.H.  Headstones  mark  their  graves,  and 
the  records  of  the  deaths  may  be  found  in  the  Strafford 
County  Gazette  printed  at  that  time. 

Children  of  Rev.  William  and  Mary  (Lord)  Hooper  were: — 

Mary,  b.  March  27,  1771,  in  Berwick,  Me.;  m.  by  her  father  in 
Madbury,  N.H.,  Nov.  9,  1800,  to  David  Hill,  of  Durham. 
She  was  living  in  1827,  as  the  settlement  of  her  father's 
estate  will  prove. 

Elizabeth,  b.  1773,  in  Berwick;  d.  in  Madbury,  Nov.  7,  1818. 

Noah,  b.  Oct.  9,  1776,  in  Berwick;  m.  by  his  father,  June  23, 
1796,  to  Elizabeth  Kelley,  of  Durham.  He  was  a  Baptist 
minister,  settled  in  Dover,  N.H.,  in  Belfast,  Me.,  and  in 
other  places.  He  d.  in  Berwick,  Me.,  1854,  and  is  buried 
with  his  wife  in  the  Lord  Cemetery  in  Berwick.  He  had 
a  large  family.  Of  these  children  Noah  Hooper,  Jr.,  b. 
Nov.  11,  1806,  was  a  Baptist  minister;    settled  for  many 


30 

years  in  Exeter,  N.H.,  where  he  d.  in  1896.  Joseph,  b. 
Nov.  5,  1818;  m.  Helen  Maria  Wallingford ;  d.  in  Port- 
land. Ore.,  April  4,  1854. 

John,  b.  July  4,  1778,  in  Berwick,  Me.;  m.  by  his  father,  Rev. 
William  Hooper,  Jan.  22,  1799,  to  Susan  Meserve,  of  Dur- 
ham, N.H.  (Old  Madbury  Town  Records,  Book  2,  p.  44). 

James,  b.  1780;  d.  in  Paris,  Me.,  June  6,  1849.  He  is  buried 
in  the  tomb  with  his  uncle,  Rev.  James  Hooper,  whose  name 
he  bore. 

Sarah,  6.  1782;  m.  by  her  father,  July  17,  1802,  to  Chesley, 
of  Durham,  N.H.;  d.  in  Madbury,  1818;  is  buried  beside 
her  father  and  mother.  There  is  a  very  large  family  of 
Chesley  descendants. 

Samuel  Lord,  b.  1785,  in  Madbury,  N.H.;  m.  March  12,  1807, 
Polly  Clark,  of  Berwick,  Me.;  d.  in  Madbury,  Sept.  19, 
1807.  Son,  Samuel,  b.  in  Madbury,  1807;  d.  in  Berwick, 
Me.,  April  3,  1831.  The  record  of  deaths  of  Samuel  L., 
and  Samuel,  his  son,  are  taken  from  the  headstones. 

In  this  burial  lot,  on  the  Rev.  William  Hooper  farm,  are  the 
graves  of  Rev.  William  and  wife  Mary,  daughter  Elizabeth, 
and  Mrs.  Chesley,  the  son  John  Hooper,  and  Samuel  L.  and 
grandson  Samuel. 

The  widow  of  Samuel  L.  Hooper  became  the  wife  of  Ebenezer 
Meserve,  of  Dover,  N.H.,  before  1831. 

Rev.  William  Hooper  was  ordained  as  "the  first  Baptist  min- 
ister in  the  State  of  Maine,  April,  1776."  At  this  time  he  was 
thirty  years  of  age.  He  had  been  married  for  six  years.  He 
was  christened,  1746,  in  the  Congregational  church,  in  which 
church  his  grandfather,  John  2  Hooper,  was  deacon.  What 
reasons  there  were  for  his  change  in  faith  does  not  now  ap- 
pear. It  is  probable  that  he  settled  soon  after  his  mar- 
riage at  "Old  Fields."  There  is  the  tradition  in  the  family, 
that  his  father  William3  Hooper  built  a  house  for  him, 
next  to  his  own,  on  Hooper  Hill;  but  there  is  no  record 
which  verifies  the  statement.  The  name  of  William  Hooper, 
Jr.,  does  not  appear  in  connection  with  any  deed  before 
1778,  and  then,  in  the  State  of  New  Hampshire.  When 
William3  Hooper  sells  his  "homestead"  to  John  Hooper, 
Jr.,  in  1796,  no  mention  of  any  other  house  is  made  in  con- 


31 

nection  with  the  property.     The  two  houses  that  were  built 
on   the   William    Hooper   farm,   were  probably    built    after 
1796. 
The   little   church   in   which   William   Hooper  was   ordained 
"stood  on  land  adjoining  John2  Hooper's  house."     There  was 
also  a  parsonage  next  to  the  little  church  which  was  occupied 
by  the  minister.     A  record  of  the  "Early  churches  of  Berwick" 
gives  a  description  of  this  church  and  parsonage.     The  ordina- 
tion sermon  of  William  Hooper  was  given  by  Rev.   Hezekiah 
Smith,   of   Haverhill,   assisted   by   Dr.    Samuel   Shepard.     It   is 
evident  that  Mr.  Hooper  had  a  respectable  following  into  the 
Baptist  faith,  as  shown  by  town  records  (Book  2,  p.  313) : — 

"This  is  to  certify  to  the  assessors  of  the  South  Parish  that 
Jeremiah  Wise,  Jonathan  Abbott,  Joshua  Abbott,  Elisha  Grant, 
Stephen  Nason,  Thomas  Goodwin,  3d,  Theophulus  Abbott, 
Jacob  Nason,  James  Grant  attend  worship  (public)  with  the 
Baptist  Society  in  this  town  on  the  Lords  days. 

"WILLIAM  HOOPER  ELDER." 
May  21,  1778. 

Recorded  by 
Nahum  Marshall, 

Town  Clerk. 

There  are  other  town  records  showing  admittance  to  this 
Baptist  church. 

In  the  "South  Parish"  of  Berwick  were  born  all  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Rev.  William  Hooper,  with  the  possible  exception  of 
James,  Sarah,  and  Samuel  L. 

After  his  ordination  Mr.  Hooper  devoted  the  remainder  of  his 
life  to  establishing  Baptist  churches  in  Maine  and  New  Hamp- 
shire. While  he  appears  in  the  records  as  "of  Berwick  and 
Madbury,"  he  not  only  had  the  control  of  these  churches  for  a 
long  number  of  years,  but,  as  the  records  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation will  show,  he  was  a  constant  preacher  in  conferences 
and  churches  elsewhere.  He  was  not  a  learned  man  in  the  sense 
with  which  we  speak  of  learning,  at  the  present  time;  but  he 
lived  with  the  companionship  of  the  strongest  men  intellectually 
in  the  two  States  of  Maine  and  New  Hampshire.  He  has  been 
described  by  those  who  knew  him  as  "  like  a  steam-engine,  with 
tremendous  force  and  energy.     He  would  walk  long  distances 


32 

through  unbroken  paths  to  help  struggling  churches.  He  rode 
in  the  saddle  as  he  grew  older,"  and  "never  failed  to  keep  an 
appointment  of  any  kind."  His  most  marked  feature  was  his 
mouth,  which  showed  great  firmness  and  decision  of  character. 
He  had  great  gentleness  and  tenderness  with  children.  He  was 
something  above  the  average  in  height,  but  in  his  old  age  leaned 
heavily  on  a  cane." 

Rev.  William  Hooper  was  assessor  for  the  "South  Parish" 
in  Berwick  for  the  years  1775-77  (Town  Records,  pp.  225-228). 

David  Benedict,  in  his  "Baptist  Denomination  in  America" 
(1820),  p.  152,  says:— 

"Dr.  Shepard  and  Rev.  William  Hooper,  of  Berwick,  now  of 
Madbury,  were  the  principal  promoters  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Baptist  Association." 

The  town  records  of  Berwick  show  that  Rev.  William  Hooper 
united  many  persons  in  marriage,  while  the  town  records  of  Mad- 
bury show  that  from  1778  until  1820  he  performed  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  in  some  families  for  two  generations;  and  many 
came  to  him  from  the  adjoining  towns  of  Dover  and  Durham. 

Of  course,  he  came  close  to  all  these  families  in  their  affliction. 

One  can  never  approach  the  Revolutionary  period  without 
a  feeling  of  great  sadness  in  recalling  the  great  loss  of  life  in 
those  small  communities,  the  poverty  and  suffering  of  the 
people,  and  the  courage  and  patience  and  heroism  with  which 
they  met  everything  during  those  long  years  of  privation  and 
hardships.  Rev.  William  Hooper  is  described  as  addressing 
town  meetings  in  the  two  counties  of  York  and  Strafford,  speak- 
ing to  the  people  in  barns,  and  travelling  long  distances  from 
farm  to  farm,  all  in  the  cause  of  independence,  and  urging  men 
to  enlist.  The  women  and  old  men  and  the  children  left  at 
home  are  described  in  The  Town  Book  of  Berwick  as  melting 
all  their  pewter  into  bullets.  These  women  ploughed  the  land 
and  planted  the  corn.  In  this  Old  Town  Book  may  be  found 
the  military  service  of  Rev.  William  Hooper.  He  enlisted  in 
the  year  1780,  and  "served  3  mos.  at  West  Point;  3  mos.  at 
Falmouth;  in  Capt.  Jonathan  Hamilton's  company."  He 
was  probably  a  chaplain,  although  it  is  not  so  stated;  but  par- 
ties at  the  State  House  in  Boston,  who  have  charge  of  the  mili- 
tary archives  in  which  are  kept  the  records  of  the  Revolutionary 


33 

soldiers,  believe  this  to  be  so,  because  "it  would  be  hard  to  think 
of  such  a  man  serving  in  the  ranks."  The  tradition  that  he  was 
a  chaplain  is  probably  true. 

On  April  27,  1778,  William  Hooper,  of  Berwick,  receives  from 
John  Roberts,  of  Madbury,  N.H.,  a  deed  showing  purchase  of 
thirty-nine  and  one-half  acres  of  land  from  Roberts.  For  this 
land  he  pays  £630  (Strafford  County  Deeds,  Book  3,  p.  124). 

This  deed  describes  the  land  on  which  in  1780-81  William 
Hooper  made  his  home.  The  house  has  been  burned,  but  the 
cellar  remains.  In  the  opposite  field  are  the  Hooper  graves.  It 
was  once  a  part  of  "ancient  Dover."  This  first  purchase  of 
land  was  added  to  from  time  to  time,  until  in  1827  (as  shown  by 
the  inventory  to  the  estate)  it  included  one  hundred  acres.  The 
farm  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  James  H.  Dailey,  and  is  the  finest 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  town. 

The  Madbury  town  records  of  Dec.  22, 1777,  has  the  following : — 

"  Voted:  that  we  are  willing  that  Rev.  William  Hooper  shall 
preach  the  Gospel  to  us"  (Book  1,  p.  104). 

The  above  is  the  date  on  which  his  name  appears,  for  the  first 
time,  on  the  Madbury  records,  and  the  following  is  the  date  of 
the  first  marriage  in  Madbury  at  which  he  officiated,  "Dec.  15, 
1778." 

It  is  probable  that  Rev.  William  Hooper  commenced  his 
Baptist  missionary  work  in  Madbury  by  preaching  in  private 
houses,  or  possibly  in  barns,  about  the  time  of  the  record,  1777. 

"  1780 :  Dec.  Voted  that  we  build  a  gallery  and  put  seats 
in  the  town  house  for  the  preaching  of  Rev.  William  Hooper." 

Mr.  Hooper  did  something  besides  preaching  to  the  people 
of  Madbury  and  Durham.  He  was  moderator  at  many  of  the 
town  meetings  after  1781;  was  a  selectman,  and  served  on  the 
most  important  committees  appointed  by  the  town. 

"At  a  legal  town  meeting  held  in  the  Parish  house  Jan.  4, 
1781  :— 

"Voted:  to  choose  a  committee  and  the  committee  to  con- 
sist of  7  to  examine  the  proposed  form  of  Government  for  New 
Hampshire:   Reverend  William  Hooper  is  of  this  committee." 

"At  a  town  meeting  held  Nov.  5,  1782,  Rev.  William  Hooper 
is  chosen  chairman  of  the  committee  to  examine  and  report  on 
the  proposed  form  of  Government  for  New  Hampshire." 

"At  a  legal  town  meeting  at  Madbury  Aug.  8,  1791,  voted; — 


34 

The  Reverend  William  Hooper  a  delegate  to  join  the  Committee 
at  Concord  to  revise  the  Constitution  of  sd  State,  and  to  correct 
any  violation  thereof,  and  to  make  such  alterations  therein  as 
by  experience  may  be  found  necessary.  John  Demeritt  Town 
clerk." — Madbury  Town  Records. 

Rev.  William  Hooper  was  sent  as  the  delegate  from  Madbury, 
N.H.,  to  the  convention  of  delegates  that  met  in  Exeter,  N.H., 
Feb.  13,  1789,  to  investigate,  discuss,  and  decide  whether  the 
Federal  Constitution  of  the  United  States  should  be  accepted 
by  the  State  of  New  Hampshire.  It  had  already  received  the 
approval  of  six  States, — Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey, 
Georgia,  Connecticut,  and  Massachusetts. 

"The  Convention  was  a  notable  body  of  men.  It  was  com- 
posed of  men  who  had  been  the  leading  spirits  in  the  state  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  epoch,  men  for  the  most  part  of  marked 
ability  and  commanding  talents.  Among  these  delegates  was 
Gov.  John  Sullivan  of  Durham,  John  Langdon  and  John  Pick- 
ering of  Portsmouth,  Josiah  Bartlett  of  Kingston,  Rev.  Will- 
iam Hooper  of  Madbury,  John  Taylor  Gilman  of  Exeter  and 
Dr.  Ezra  Green  of  Dover;  the  Convention  was  held  in  the  Court 
House;  Gov.  John  Sullivan  was  chosen  President  and  John 
Calfe  secretary." 

As  in  Massachusetts,  the  delegates  from  the  smaller  towns 
in  New  Hampshire  were  strongly  anti-Federalists.  Many  of 
them  came  to  Exeter  instructed  by  their  constituents  to  vote 
against  the  Constitution.  The  discussion  of  the  instrument 
throughout  the  country  was  at  its  height.  The  leading  defender 
of  the  Constitution  was  Governor  John  Sullivan,  and  with  him 
were  the  two  Langdons,  John  and  Samuel  Livermore,  Josiah 
Bartlett,  John  Pickering,  John  Taylor  Gilman,  and  Benjamin 
Bellows. 

The  leaders  of  the  opposition, — Joseph  Badger,  Rev.  Will- 
iam Hooper,  Joshua  Atherton,  Abial  Parker,  and  Jonathan 
Dow, — although  men  with  less  intellectual  training,  as  the  de- 
bate progressed,  had  the  advantage  of  the  larger  following. 
Very  little  is  known  concerning  the  detailed  proceedings  of  the 
convention,  since  its  journal  gives  but  a  most  meagre  account 
of  its  work,  and  the  deliberations  and  debates  were  unfortunately 
never  reported.  The  opponents  of  the  Constitution  repro- 
duced the  objections  which  had  just  been  urged  in  Massachu- 


35 

setts.  They  complained  of  the  absence  of  a  religious  test.  They 
denounced  the  twenty  years'  sufferance  of  the  foreign  slave 
trade.  Sullivan,  Langdon,  Livermore,  explained  and  defended, 
but  they  wished  to  avoid  a  vote,  fearing  rejection  of  the  Con- 
stitution. So,  after  a  seven  days'  session,  an  adjournment 
was  secured  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  delegates  an  oppor- 
tunity to  confer  with  their  constituents.  The  place  of  meeting 
was  changed  from  Exeter  to  Concord,  and  the  time  for  meet- 
ing was  fixed  for  the  third  Wednesday  in  June. 

"The  failure  of  New  Hampshire  to  ratify  was  the  first  serious 
check  the  Constitution  had  met  with,  and  its  friends,  as  the 
news  travelled  westward  and  southward,  were  much  depressed." 

Washington  had  voiced  the  general  feeling  of  the  friends  of 
the  Constitution,  when  he  wrote  to  General  Knox  from  Mount 
Vernon,  under  date  of  March  30:  "The  conduct  of  the  state  of 
New  Hampshire  has  baffled  all  calculation,  and  has  come  ex- 
tremely malapropos  for  a  favorable  decision  on  the  proposed 
constitution  in  this  state;  for,  be  the  real  cause  of  the  late  ad- 
journment what  it  may,  the  Anti-Federal  party  with  us  do  not 
scruple  to  pronounce  that  it  was  done  to  await  the  issue  of  this 
convention  before  it  would  decide,  and  add,  that,  if  this  state 
should  reject  it,  all  those  who  are  to  follow  will  do  the  same, 
and  consequently  it  cannot  obtain,  as  there  will  be  only  eight 
states  in  favor  of  the  measure.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  untoward 
event  the  opposition  would  have  proved  entirely  unavailing 
in  this  state,  notwithstanding  the  unfair  (I  might  without  much 
impropriety  made  use  of  a  harsher  expression)  conduct,  which 
has  been  practised  to  rouse  the  fears  and  to  inflame  the  minds 
of  the  people."  To  John  Langdon  he  wrote  in  a  similar  vein 
three  days  later,  as  follows:  "Circumstanced  as  your  conven- 
tion was,  an  adjournment  was  certainly  prudent,  but  it  has  hap- 
pened very  malapropos  for  this  state,  because  the  concurrent 
information  from  that  quarter  [New  Hampshire]  would  have 
justified  the  expectation  of  a  unanimity  in  the  convention." 

"  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  action  of  New  Hampshire  was  awaited 
with  intense  interest  by  the  whole  country.  No  one  felt  a  greater 
anxiety  as  to  the  result  than  Alexander  Hamilton,  as  the  fol- 
lowing letter  of  his,  published  for  the  first  time  in  Lodge's  re- 
cent edition  of  Hamilton's  Works,  indicates: — 


86 

New  York,  June  6,  1788. 
To  John  Sullivan,  Esquire, 

President  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire. 

Dear  Sir:  You  will  no  doubt  have  understood  that  the  anti- 
federal  party  has  prevailed  in  this  state  by  a  large  majority. 
It  is  therefore  of  the  utmost  importance  that  all  external  cir- 
cumstances should  be  made  use  of  to  influence  their  conduct. 
This  will  suggest  to  you  the  great  advantage  of  a  speedy  decision 
in  your  state,  if  you  can  be  sure  of  the  question,  and  a  prompt 
communication  of  the  event  to  us.  With  this  view,  permit  me 
to  request  that  the  instant  you  have  taken  a  decisive  vote  in 
favor  of  the  constitution,  you  send  an  express  to  me  at  Pough- 
keepsie.  Let  him  take  the  shortest  route  to  that  place,  change 
horses  on  the  road,  and  use  all  possible  diligence.  I  shall  with 
pleasure  defray  all  expenses,  and  give  a  liberal  reward  to  the 
person.  As  I  suspect  an  effort  will  be  made  to  precipitate  us, 
all  possible  safe  dispatch  on  your  part,  as  well  to  obtain  a  deci- 
sion as  to  communicate  the  intelligence  of  it,  will  be  desirable. 

"This  letter  of  Hamilton's  very  likely  had  its  inflence  in  has- 
tening the  decision  of  the  New  Hampshire  convention. 

"It  met  at  Concord  on  Wednesday,  the  18th  of  June,  in  the 
Old  North  Meeting-house.  Four  days  served  for  the  discus- 
sion of  the  constitution,  for  the  preparation  and  recommenda- 
tion of  twelve  articles  of  amendment." 

"The  Constitution  was  adopted  by  the  New  Hampshire  dele- 
gates on  Saturday,  June  21,  1788.  She  was  the  ninth  state  to 
ratify,  thus  giving  the  instrument  binding  force." — New  Hamp- 
shire and  the  Federal  Constitution. 

The  will  of  Rev.  William  Hooper  was  signed  on  "this  fourth 
day  of  January  1827"  (Probate  Records  of  Strafford  County, 
New  Hampshire,  Book  35,  p.  237). 

In  this  will  he  mentions  son  John,  Noah,  and  James,  also 
grandson  Samuel  Hooper  and  daughter  Mary  Hill.  He  leaves 
to  one  of  his  grand-children  the  "red  broad  cloth  cloak  belonging 
to  my  wife  Mary." 


FIFTH   GENERATION. 

John5  Hooper,  b.  in  Berwick,  July  4,  1778;  m.  by  his  father, 
Jan.  22,  1799,  to  Susan  Meserve  of  Durham,  N.H.  (Old  Mad- 
bury  Records,  Book  2,  p.  44). 

Susan  Meserve  was  the  daughter  of  Colonel  Ebenezer  and 
Eunice  (Torr  or  Tarr)  Meserve.  The  Meserves  were  a  dis- 
tinguished family  in  New  Hampshire  during  the  Revolu- 
tion. 

Children  of  John  Hooper  and  Susan  Meserve  were : — 

Eunice,  b.  1799;  m.  Timothy  Glover;  d.  June  8,  1859;  c,  Will- 
iam, Ivory,  Rockwood,  and  others. 

Mary,  b.  March  5,  1801. 

Irene  P.,  b.  Jan.  4,  1804;  m.  James  Stanyon. 

John,  6.  Dec.  12,  1805. 

William,  b. ;  m.  Abbie  Bean,  of  Bangor,  Me. 

Ivory,  6.  1809;  d.  1831. 

Sarah,  b.  1811;  m.  Channey  Jordan,  1832;  d.  in  Roxbury, 
April  27,  1863;    c,  Augustus  C.  Jordan,  m.  Clara  Walker; 

Jennie,  m.  Daniel  S.  Meserve;    Susan,  m. Bigelow,  in 

San  Francisco. 

Hannah,  b. ;  m.  D wight  Parson,  of  Bangor,  Me. 

Sylvester  M.,  b.  1816;  in. ;  c,  Sylvester;  Elizabeth. 

James,  b. . 

The  children  of  John  5  and  Susan  (Meserve)  Hooper  were  born 
in  Madbury,  with  the  exception  of  Sylvester  M.  and  James 
Hooper, 

John  Hooper  5  was  a  farmer,  and  lived  on  land  described  in 
deed,  "Footman  to  Hooper"  (see  Strafford  County  records). 
This  farm  was  near  to  the  one  owned  by  his  father,  Rev.  Will- 
iam. He  held  some  town  offices;  and  it  is  claimed  that  he  also 
was  a  Baptist  minister,  which  is  very  likely  true,  as  his  name 
appears  on  several  records  as   "preaching  to  the  people  in  a 


38 

barn."  He  d.  while  living  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  Oct.  18,  1828. 
His  widow,  who  lived  after  her  husband's  death  in  the  family 
of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Sarah  (Hooper)  Jordan,  died  in  Roxbury, 
April,  1863,  and  is  buried  in  West  Roxbury,  in  the  Jordan  burial 
lot. 


SIXTH   GENERATION. 

John  8  Hooper  was  b.  in  Madbury,  N.H.,  Dec.  12,  1805.  He 
spent  his  young  boyhood  on  the  Hooper  farm  in  Madbury,  in 
the  family  of  his  grandfather,  Rev.  William  Hooper.  He  m. 
Feb.  26,  1833,  Martha  Stan  wood  Perry,  of  Orono,  Me. 

Martha  S.  Perry  was  b.  in  Brunswick,  Me.,  Feb.  27,  1811; 
d.  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Feb.  28,  1900.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Deacon  John  and  Jane  (Stanwood)  Perry.  Her  father, 
Deacon  John  Perry,  was  a  merchant,  and  a  deacon  in  the 
First  Congregational  Church  in  Brunswick,  and  later  was  the 
first  deacon  in  the  Congregational  church  in  Orono,  Me. 
While  in  Brunswick,  Deacon  Perry  "organized  the  first 
Sunday-school  in  the  town  and  in  the  state."  A  memorial 
window  was  dedicated  to  his  memory  in  this  church  in 
Brunswick,  Me.,  Dec.  4,  1894.  On  this  occasion  Edward 
Beecher  Mason,  D.D.,  quoted  the  following  from  Mr.  Perry's 
Journal : — 

"I  have  before  me  the  original  journal  kept  by  Mr.  Perry, 
in  which  he  gives  an  account  of  what  led  him  to  undertake 
the  formation  of  a  Sunday-school.  It  is  dated  'in  the 
year  1811  &  12.'  He  says:  'Sometime  in  the  winter 
I  saw  a  newspaper  containing  an  account  of  a  Sunday- 
school  in  England.  I  enquired  of  Rev.  Mr.  Winthrop 
Bailey,  then  our  minister,  and  also  of  President  Appleton 
what  they  thought  of  them  and  how  they  were  conducted. 
They  both  thought  favorably  of  them,  but  could  give  no 
account  of  how  they  were  managed.  They  thought  how- 
ever that  nothing  but  reading,  and  that  of  a  religious  nat- 
ure ought  to  be  allowed  in  the  school.  This  led  me  to  make 
another  enquiry,  which  was  this, — Can  a.  b.  c.  scholars  be 
admitted?  And  after  deliberation,  say  a  month  or  two, 
they  decided  that  they  m  ght  be  admitted,  and  assigned 
for  a  deviation  of  this  rule,  that  unless  children  were  taught 
a.  b.  c.  they  never  could  read  the  Bible." 
The  father  of  Deacon  John  Perry  was  Captain  John  Perry,  of 


40 

Rehoboth.  He  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  Aug.  7,  1736 
(the  son  of  John,  b.  March  11,  1700-01,  the  grandson  of 
Nathaniel,  b.  Oct.  8,  1660,  and  the  great-grandson  of  Anthony- 
Perry.  See  Vital  Statistics  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.). 
Captain  John  Perry  married  Leaffe  Walker,  April  16,  1761. 
She  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  Aug.  4,  1742,  the  daughter 
of  Timothy,  Jr.,  and  Elizabeth  Walker.  Her  father  was  a 
captain  of  a  militia  company  when  he  was  the  representative 
to  the  Genera]  Court  of  Massachusetts  in  1757,  1758,  1759. 
The  Journals  of  the  Provincial  Congress  show  that  Colonel 
Timothy  Walker  was  the  delegate  from  Rehoboth,  1774-75. 
The  Records  in  the  Military  Archives  of  Massachusetts  rank 
him  as  Colonel,  who  "marched  on  the  alarm  of  April  19, 
1775,  for  Lexington."  His  son-in-law,  John  Perry,  was  a 
captain  in  the  same  regiment. 

The  father  of  Jane  Stanwood,  who  married  Deacon  John 
Perry,  of  Brunswick,  and  Orono,  Me.,  was  Colonel  William 
Stanwood.  Mr.  Stanwood  receives  this  title  of  "Colonel"  as 
a  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  the  Maine  militia,  after  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  "  He  was  a  lieutenant,  and  had  a  long  and 
honorable  record  in  the  Revolution. "  Colonel  Stanwood  was 
born  in  Brunswick,  Me.,  April  5,  1752.  "He  was,  perhaps, 
the  most  prominent  Stanwood  who  has  ever  lived  in  Bruns- 
wick" (Mrs.  Ethel  Stanwood  Bolton,  in  "A  History  of  the 
Stanwood  Family  in  America,"  p.  113).  He  transferred  to 
the  President  and  Trustees  of  Bowdoin  College,  in  1796, 
"fifty  acres  of  land."  The  land  thus  transferred  comprises 
what  is  now  the  campus.  In  1798  he  was  made  an  overseer 
of  the  college,  and  held  the  position  until  May  16,  1815, 
when  he  resigned  it  by  letter.  Colonel  William  Stanwood 
was  a  representative  in  1794-95.  He  died  in  Brunswick, 
June  24,  1829.  The  eldest  child  of  William  and  Hannah 
(Thompson)  Stanwood,  Jennet,  b.  July  3,  1784;  m.  Deacon 
John  Perry. 

John e  Hooper  sailed  on  the  "  Star  Pacific  "  from  Boston,  and 
landed  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  July,  1851. 

We  take  the  following  from  The  Bay  of  San  Francisco: — 

"John  Hooper,  whose  personal  history  is  inseparably  connected 
with  the  State  of  California,  began  his  residence  here  in  1851. 


41 

He  engaged  in  business,  and  at  once  became  an  important  factor 
in  the  building  of  the  great  Commonwealth.  His  ancestors 
were  from  England,  and  were  early  settlers  in  New  Hampshire. 
The  first  year  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at  the  corner 
of  Jackson  and  Stockton  Streets,  his  stock  being  brought  from 
New  York  and  Boston.  In  1854  he  became  connected  with 
mines  in  Amador  County.  He  built  the  mills  and  founded  and 
named  the  town  of  Plymouth.  Later  he  engaged  in  the  grain 
business  in  San  Francisco,  having  dropped  mining  at  the  end 
of  seventeen  years. 

"His  first  vote  was  cast  for  the  Whig  party,  and  upon  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party  he  gave  it  his  allegiance, 
and  he  has  not  missed  a  Presidential  vote  since  his  majority. 
During  the  trying  times  of  excitement  in  the  early  history  of 
the  state,  Mr.  Hooper  was  one  of  the  first  to  join  the  vigilance 
committee,  and,  when  the  great  civil  war  broke  out,  he  stood 
like  a  rock  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  in  every  honorable  way 
used  his  influence  and  money  to  perpetuate  the  government  of 
the  United  States.  Before  going  to  California  Mr.  Hooper 
was  a  merchant  in  Bangor,  Me.  John 6  Hooper  d.  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, Oct.  3,  1892. 

Children  of  John  and  Martha  (Perry)  Hooper,  b.  in  Bangor, 
Me.,  were: — 

Mary  Jane,  b.  Nov.  6,  1833;  d.  June  9,  1851. 

William  Horace,  b.  Nov.  20,  1834;   m.  Helen  Van  Netter.     He 

d.  Feb.  1,  1879. 
Franklin  Perry,  b.  Oct.  6,  1836;  d.  July  3,  1904. 
John  Albert,  6.  Sept.  25,  1838;    m.  Mary  Campbell  Brown,  of 

Orono,  Me.,  June  21,  1866;  c,  Albert,  b.  Aug.  14, 1867;   Mary, 

Alice,  Jessie,  Jeanette,  Frank,  Arthur. 
Martha  Eleanor,  b.  Feb.  27,  1841;  d.  1842. 
Charles  App!eton,  b.  March  14,  1843;  m.  Ida  Geneva  Snow. 
Isabel  Williams,  b.  May  2,  1845;    m.  William  E.  Norwood,  of 

Camden,  Me.;  c,  Evelyn  Perry,  b.  in  San  Francisco,  1871. 
George  William,  b.  June  29,  1847;  m.  Saphronia  Taylor  Clapp. 
Arthur  Appleton,  b.  Nov.  27,  1850;  d.  Aug.  25,  1898. 


SEVENTH   GENERATION. 

Charles  Appleton  Hooper,  b.  March  14,  1843;    m.  June  7, 
1880,  Ida  Geneva  Snow;   c,  Isabel  Martha,  Idolene  Snow. 


EIGHTH   GENERATION. 

Idolene  Snow  Hooper,  b.  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Feb.  2,  1883; 
m.  to  Sumner  Crosby  of  Brookline,  Mass.,  Aug.  6,  1901. 


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